NWA Cross Country Report

Many of Northwest Arkansas’ cross country teams were scattered over a number of meets — and states — but many of them had good outings over the weekend.

• Rogers High’s boys may have pulled off the biggest feat Saturday morning by winning the Crimson division of the Rim Rock Farm Classic in Lawrence, Kan. The Mounties compiled 108 points to 192 for second-place finisher Olathe (Kan.) South.

Senior Diego Contreras led Rogers with his seventh-place finish as he covered the 5-kilometer course in 16 minutes, 48.20 seconds, while David Salinas took 16th in 17:08.30.

Siloam Springs finished 36th in that division, while Fayetteville’s boys took 13th place in the Gold division. Rogers High’s girls were sixth and Siloam Springs finishes 12th in the Crimson division, while Fayetteville’s girls were 16th in the Gold Division.

• Springdale Har-Ber swept the boys and girls team titles Saturday during the Cyclone Invitational, held at Old Post Road Park in Russellville.

In the boys division, Har-Ber edged Class 6A perennial power Lake Hamilton by a 91-97 margin. Juan Gomez led the Wildcats with a fifth-place finish and covered the course in 17:28.29, while teammate Ismael Briseno was 12th (17:44.80).

The girls division was even closer as Har-Ber slipped past Conway by a slim 85-87 margin. The Lady Wildcats place two runners in the top 10 as Emily Newberry finished third at 20:43.25 and Julianne Dillon was fourth at 21:19.17.

• Bentonville High traveled to Stillwater, Okla., to compete in the 80th annual Cowboy Jamboree, and its girls came away with an impressive second-place finish. The Lady Tigers compiled 149 points while powerhouse The Woodlands, Texas, had all five runners place in the top 20 and finished with 57 points.

Sophomore Tori Willis led Bentonville with a seventh-place finish, turning in a time of 20:07.7.

In the boys division, Bentonville scored 178 points and finished fifth out of 38 teams. Sophomore Coleman Wilson led the Tigers as he finished 25th with a time of 17:28.60.

• Bentonville West earned its first-ever team titles Saturday at the Berryville Invitational. West’s boys had the top three runners in the 6A/7A division and finished with 20 points to 35 for Springdale High.

Nathan McSpadden led the Wolverines and took the individual title at 18:01.75, followed by teammates Nick LaChance (18:21.80) and Corey Maxwell (18:41.89). Springdale was led by senior James Jimenez, who took fourth at 19:01.39.

In the girls division, West had all five runners finish in the top 10 and scored 24 points to Springdale’s 31. Lady Wolverine sophomore Catherine Costantini earned the individual title with her time of 23:22.64, while Nayelli Garcia led Springdale by finishing second (23:49.47).

Huntsville took the 4A/5A boys title, while Green Forest captured the 1A/3A boys title. In the girls division, Berryville won the 4A/5A while Green Forest took the 1A/3A title. Individual winners included Green Forest’s Patrick Hunter in the 1A/3A boys (17:30.08), Pea Ridge’s Shaed Cates in the 4A/5A boys (18:48.71), Eureka Springs’ Gabby Bloch in the 1A/3A girls (21:19.69) and Prairie Grove’s Bekah Bostian in the 4A/5A girls (20:47.84).

Henry Apple is a veteran sports reporter for the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. His primary beat is Bentonville and Bentonville West, as well as topics that include state schools and the Arkansas Activities Association. During the spring, he handles high school track in Northwest Arkansas. He is a lifelong Arkansas resident.